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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26922913">the quiet world</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/riceballs/pseuds/riceballs'>riceballs</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>3/27/2021: edited because Piece!!!!!!!, M/M, University AU, dystopian au, music production au, mute character, word counting au</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:42:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,232</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26922913</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/riceballs/pseuds/riceballs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“In an effort to get people to look<br/>into each other’s eyes more,<br/>and also to appease the mutes,<br/>the government has decided<br/>to allot each person exactly one hundred<br/>and sixty-seven words, per day.”</p><p>(Jeffery McDaniel, The Quiet World)</p><p>--</p><p>Living in a world where no one speaks makes it hard for Changbin to ever find vocalists for his music. However, one chance encounter involving a dark alleyway, a crumpled flier, and a cat leads him to Seungmin, who may be the voice he was looking for.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kim Seungmin/Seo Changbin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>102</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the quiet world</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><b>EDIT 03/27/2021:</b> If you've read this fic before when it was posted on 10/10/2020, the plot is the same, but because of the latest SKZ-Record, heavy edits were made to change certain parts of the fic, along with finally editing out some grammar errors and other awkward parts. (There's more about the reason I edited this in the endnotes). </p><p>To anyone who hasn't read this yet, welcome. Recommended song while reading: <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkB9yZuN7xY">Piece</a></i> by Seungmin and Changbin. </p><p>--</p><p>Based on this <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49238/the-quiet-world">poem</a> by Jeffery McDaniel.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s hot, way too hot,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Changbin thinks to himself, brushing another wave of sweat from his face before they could land on his paper and create a spot, ultimately leading the perfectionist inside of him to trash his perfectly good sheet of lyrics and rewrite them again. Idly, he looks up at Chan to see if he was witnessing Changbin’s slow descent into a melted puddle on their beat-up couch, but the other was completely focused on his computer screen, the keyboard clacks only adding to Changbin’s annoyance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The AC remote was right next to Chan, and for a second Changbin debates calling out to Chan for it, but a quick look at his word counter shows him a </span>
  <em>
    <span>145</span>
  </em>
  <span>, which Changbin knows he needs to save for his rap verse today. Changbin was determined to get through the entire verse perfectly, instead of breaking it up like they usually did for their songs. With a total of 116 characters to go through, he couldn’t risk wasting a word. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But that meant having to communicate another way with Chan, one that didn’t require words, yet would allow him to stay in his comfortable position without exerting movement and generating any form of heat. He looks around for his phone, seeing it at the end of the couch… right next to Chan’s own. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Of course. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as Changbin debates crumbling his lyrics anyways to throw at Chan for his attention, the door swung open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s hot!” Without warning, Jisung swipes the remote from Chan’s side and clicks it on. Immediately, the cool release of artificial air fills their studio. Changbin sighs at the instant relief.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seriously Chan, how aren’t you dying in your hoodie?” Unconsciously, both Chan and Changbin took a look at Jisung’s counter. </span>
  <em>
    <span>43.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Since Changbin had first met Jisung, it always alarmed him how fast Jisung spouted out words, and he had wondered how Jisung would manage to save them for when he had to record, but without fail Jisung always had just enough for his parts (and — as Changbin was slightly bitter about — never made mistakes and needed to record again the next day). </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jisung plops down next to Changbin, leaning into his side. Changbin fought the urge to push his warm body off of his. “Did you find someone to sing?” he asks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin blinks, before realizing what Jisung meant. He shakes his head no. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’ll be hard to find someone,” Changbin watches as Chan’s counter dropped from </span>
  <em>
    <span>97</span>
  </em>
  <span> to </span>
  <em>
    <span>91</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Chan — realizing it as well, scribbles the rest of his sentence down on paper and holds it up to show the others. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You’ll be taking up their words, or need to record over a lot of days. No one wants to commit to either, unless you could pay them.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin knows that, knows his nonexistent bank account told him he couldn’t afford to pay, and also knew that his parents — as supportive as they may be — would not be willing to loan him money just to find a singer for a side project of his. While it was a track he had been proudly working on for the past few weeks, considering it wasn’t for a class or a client, even Changbin himself couldn’t justify paying for a singer and didn’t expect his parents to either. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reaching for his phone, he swipes up to the school forum, looking for his own post. </span>
  <em>
    <span>0 replies.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It was the same as when Changbin had checked it 30 minutes ago, but he honestly didn’t expect anything in the first place. Their limited word count means no one would want to sing on a student made track — something that could possibly take days if not weeks just to get through — without the promise of compensation for their efforts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t worry Changbin! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jisung thrusts his phone underneath Changbin’s nose, forcing his attention away from his own. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m sure someone will respond soon, and even if they don’t, you know I’ll be happy to sing for you! I know you were hoping for a new voice, but you’ll always have me and Chan if that doesn’t work out, though I’m sure it will!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin smiles at that, thanking Jisung silently for his support. Finding Chan and Jisung — two other music majors who appreciated human singers as much as he did — had been the greatest miracle Changbin had since starting school. The three of them shared a similar sentiment when it came to music, that it was an art form with an ability to invoke emotions and passion through sound, something that was only enhanced by lyrical content and the sincerity of actual voices. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had been hard, considering everyone from their music major friends to even their teachers rolled their eyes at how insistent the three of them were on using human singers and rappers as much as possible. But that was the reason he wanted to do music in the first place. There was just so much emotion in human singers that couldn’t be emulated with the computer generated voice programs most of his peers opted to use instead. To Changbin, music was more than just beat making and compositions of sound. Lyrical content in music was just as important, and there was no way he could artificially create the level of sentimentality that he wanted in his songs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For a second, he considers Jisung’s offer. Jisung was a good enough singer, and it’d be easier to just have Jisung singing on his track than looking for an outside source. But a quick peek over at Chan reminded him of the backlog of tracks they had already, songs that Jisung needs to schedule words for in the upcoming weeks. Another small part of him hoped for an answer to his call for a singer, if only because it would be nice to have a new voice in his music, something more softer than Jisung’s powerful vocals or Chan’s booming voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Changbin.” Chan’s voice cut into his thoughts. He looked up to see Chan motioning to their recording booth. “Ready?” He doesn’t say anything more, an effort to preserve his words, but Changbin had been around Chan for long enough to pick up the silent cues. It was something they had to learn about each other early on, a way to keep enough of their counter to use for their songs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin nods, picking himself and his lyrics up and walking in, pushing the thought of his solo project out of his mind. The red recording light goes off, and Changbin closes his eyes, letting the opening beat of their song come over him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>116 words in one try,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he mentally prepares to himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Let’s do this.</span>
  </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>[145] </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Stepping out of the convenience store and into the night, Changbin stretches out his limbs, still groggy after the two bowls of ramen he practically inhaled. He hadn’t eaten all day, too focused on running his lyrics mentally to prepare for his rap attempt, but now that that was done, Changbin was more than happy to go all out at the expense of his diet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Next to him, Chan was humming happily, most likely pleased at the progress from earlier. Changbin was too. The moment of exhilaration when Chan gave him a thumbs up and wide smile after he completed his recording still bubbling inside of him. He was even more pleased with how it sounded, and the three of them had agreed Changbin didn’t have to try again the next day, and that they could completely mix the track that night, of course — as Chan’s stomach growled that exact moment — after they went to get food. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They make their way through the darkening back streets, heading for their small studio on the edge of their campus. Jisung suddenly pulls at both of their sleeves, his eyes wide as he peers behind Changbin’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hear that?” he whispers. Changbin whips his head around, his eyes adjusting as best he could to the night sky. Indeed, there was a slight scuffle behind them, which only set Jisung off more. Changbin found himself also shuffling closer to the other two. Their campus was relatively safe, but Changbin had watched way too many horror movies and crime shows to know what usually happens in dark alleyways during the night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chan, however, merely rolls his eyes. “Cat.” As if summoned, a small kitten meows and walks out of the bushes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jisung sighed in relief. “Damn, I was scared- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Holy shit!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Jisung’s screech sent both Chan and Changbin’s attention back to the front, and this time, even Changbin jumped back alongside Jisung. The cat had walked over to another person, who seemingly had materialized out of nowhere in front of them. For a moment Changbin wonders if it was just a figment of his imagination, but the boy shifts and steps out into the light, making it all more apparent that it was an actual person and not a ghost. He had on a backpack, indicating he was probably a student, but that didn’t help to alleviate Changbin’s fears of being mugged that much. The three watch warily as the boy approaches them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you…” The boy starts. Changbin is surprised to see the boy talking to them instead of writing out his words. “... 3racha?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jisung chokes in slight astonishment, while Changbin feels the same. While 3racha itself as a music group was getting their name out there, most people associated the music brand with their chicken or sriracha logo rather than their faces. Regardless, he hums in acknowledgement, Chan nodding as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who’s Changbin?” Changbin points to himself, confused. The boy, focusing his attention on Changbin now, pulls a crumbled paper out of his pocket. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to sing on your project.” He holds up a flier — Changbin recognizes it as the one he posted in the music department’s community board. “When are your auditions?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jisung laughs. “Audition? Against who?” He winces as Chan ribs him in the side. The boy squints at Jisung, but disregards his statement, turning his attention back to Changbin. He held out a small piece of paper, which Changbin unfolds to see </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kim Seungmin</span>
  </em>
  <span> written in neat letters, followed by a string of numbers and an email. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please contact me here.” With that, the boy — Seungmin, as Changbin surmises, bows in goodbye and turns to go just as mysteriously as he appeared, leaving the three in an even greater state of confusion at the weird encounter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” Jisung finally breaks the silence, as realization hits them all. “He was being </span>
  <em>
    <span>serious</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>[29]</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I think this is him.” Changbin leans over, squinting at the instagram page that Chan had open on his phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the boy– </span>
  <em>
    <span>Seungmin’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> ambush of them from earlier, the three of them had returned to the studio and subsequently forgotten about their music plans in lieu of stalking Seungmin on social media. It didn’t help how common the name Seungmin was, made only worse thanks to his last name being one of the most widespread in the world, but after a few pages, it seemed as if Chan had finally found the boy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jisung furiously taps out on his phone. He had ran out of words on their way to the studio, and had been communicating via his phone since then. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wait, I know him! He’s in my voice class.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Voice class?” Chan furrows his eyebrows, confused. “What the hell? We have those?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I mean, it’s more just learning about the automatic voice features, you know, how to use the voice programs and change them around for our songs. Completely boring shit, but I heard it was an easy three credits and figured it was a good class to take at least. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Jisung frowns. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Though, the real reason I remember Seungmin when I see his face is ‘cause I remember thinking how weird it was that a photography major was taking that class of all things. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A photography major?” Chan looks warily over at Changbin. “Can he even sing?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, it’s not like Changbin can be picky about that, Seungmin’s the first person to even ask about the project. It might be a long while before he can find someone else if he turns Seungmin down. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin sighs, turning his attention back to Seungmin’s profile. It was void of any details that would explain exactly </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seungmin had seemed desperate to sing in his project, but what Jisung said was also right. It had been almost a month since he posted that notice looking for a singer, and Seungmin had been the only one so far to seek him out regarding it, not to mention actually have an interest in singing for him. Picking up his phone, he keys in Seungmin’s number. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey, this is Changbin from 3racha. You won’t have to audition to sing or anything, but if you could send me a snippet of you singing sometime this week, just so I can see if your voice could work for my track, then I can let you know.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hit send before tossing his phone on the couch besides him, not expecting a response until at the earliest tomorrow. Not even two seconds later however, his phone pings, Seungmin’s number and an audio clip appearing on his screen, as if the other was waiting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jisung grabs his phone, swiping eagerly for the clip, hitting play. Immediately, a familiar beat starts. Changbin’s eyes widened, recognizing it as 3racha’s own song.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I know, we know~” Seungmin’s voice starts, his deep yet soft timbre filling their studio. “~if it’s you you can do it, don’t give up, oh no~” He could hear Jisung gasp from beside him, as Chan’s eyes widen. The ten second clip ends too soon, with the three of them sitting in awe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well damn.” Chan finally says. “He can.” The telltale beep of his word count hitting zero sounds, but Changbin knew exactly what Chan meant. It was the same thing he was thinking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jisung looks excitedly at them both. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And he knows ‘For You’!!!! </span>
  </em>
  <span>He turns to Changbin, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If you don’t want him for your project I’ll be glad to let him sing on one of mine. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck off, he asked me,” Changbin growls, grabbing his phone from Jisungs other hand. He opens his thread with Seungmin. If the other two see how much his hands are shaking with excitement, they don’t say a word, instead exchanging secret grins between them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When can you start?</span>
  </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>[24]</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>At exactly 11:56 am the next day, there was a knock on 3racha’s studio door. Changbin opens it to see Seungmin, who waves in acknowledgement — no one bothered with verbal greetings anymore — before entering. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He beckons Seungmin over to the desk, grabbing a notepad and beginning to write out his greeting. Seungmin watches curiously over his shoulder as he writes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>So I figured today I’d just let you listen to the track, you know, make sure you actually want to sing on it– </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure I want to sing.” Seungmin cuts off his writing out loud, the definite tone in his voice surprising Changbin. His eyes automatically jump to Seungmin’s counter. </span>
  <em>
    <span>154. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Seungmin — following his gaze, takes the notepad from Changbin’s hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ve heard 3racha’s songs and seen the ones that you solo produce. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He writes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I like your style, so I’m sure I’ll like this song. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Changbin finds himself blushing at that. It wasn’t everyday that someone comments so positively on his music.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin pauses, as if contemplating his next words. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Also–</span>
  </em>
  <span> He stops. Changbin looks up at him as a slight wave of vexation passes his face, as if the next words hurt him to write. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unconsciously, he reaches out to take the pen from Seungmin’s hands, twisting his smile into one he hoped displayed comfort. There was a slight stigma against using their words on useless causes in entertainment with the rise of voice programs, and singing was one of the fields drastically reduced as a result. A part of Changbin wants to know more about Seungmin’s insistence on singing, but he also knew that would be a story for another time, if his relationship with the other grew. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let me play the song for you, so you can at least hear it,” Deciding spoken word was needed to make the atmosphere more comfortable, Changbin motions to the chair next to him. Seungmin nods in agreement and takes a seat, the look of relief in his eyes telling Changbin his thankfulness for the change in subject.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin searches for </span>
  <em>
    <span>Piece</span>
  </em>
  <span> on the computer</span>
  <em>
    <span>, </span>
  </em>
  <span>clicking on the track and hitting the spacebar for play. The opening bit starts immediately, Changbin falling straight into the sound.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>~Don’t let it fall apart~ </span>
  </em>
  <span>Changbin can see Seungmin flinch at the badly done voice program — something Changbin had hastily put together last night for Seungmin to hear. He himself cringes at the emotionless voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They listen to it through. Changbin didn’t dare to look up from his keyboard, suddenly conscious of his song in front of Seungmin. It wasn’t the first time he showed his music to someone outside of 3racha — but Changbin found himself wanting Seungmin’s absolute approval more than anything. Maybe it was because of their unconventional meeting, or maybe how desperately he needed Seungmin to sing on his track, but the mere thought that Seungmin would begin hesitating on his role sent fear straight through Changbin’s body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was right.” Changbin blinks. A faint smile appears on Seungmin’s face, and Changbin finds himself captivated by a glimmer of joy that lit up in Seungmin’s eyes. “Of course I love it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A wave of exhilaration bursts from Changbin’s heart, but he holds back, only returning Seungmin’s smile with his own. Grabbing the notepad, he writes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Okay, well I can give you a few moments to go over the lyrics for this first part.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Handing a lyrics sheet over, highlighted with the first part, he continues, </span>
  <em>
    <span>And well, we can get started? Don’t worry though! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sensing Seungmin’s slight panic and understanding it as worry for the quick start, he scribbles, </span>
  <em>
    <span>We record everything, including our practices, just so we have more copies to work with on the final product. We probably won’t use what you record today, so you don’t have to worry about recording it perfectly or anything, this is just a test run so we can get comfortable with each other’s recording styles-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I…” Seungmin pauses, before grabbing Changbin’s pen and continuing his sentence below Changbin’s scrawl. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ve never actually been in a recording studio before, so you might need to show me how to use all that. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He waves into the recording booth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin freezes, as bewilderment creeps up onto his face. Seungmin bites his lip, anxiety blooming on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, will that be a problem-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” he rushes to deny Seungmin’s worries. “I… thought you knew, but it’s fine if you don’t! I can teach you how to use it, no problem.” He stands up, motioning for Seungmin to follow him inside the vocal booth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mic, headphones, mixing board.” he points at each of the parts, as Seungmin nods. “This here is our message board.” He powers the computer on, before typing the rest of his sentence in. </span>
  <em>
    <span>We use this to communicate to each other, there’s one on the outside. If you need anything, you can type in here and I’ll see it, and the same is vice versa. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He gives Seungmin a thumbs up, silently asking if he was following so far. Seungmin nods determinedly. Changbin felt his mouth curling up in a slight smile at how attentive Seungmin was paying attention, as if Changbin would be testing him later on. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Moving on, he unscrews the mic stand, showing Seungmin how to adjust the size of the mic. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s good to have it right at your mouth level, because you shouldn’t be straining to reach the mic, or having to bend over. Usually I just have to lower it when I’m in the studio, cause–</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re short?” They both freeze. Seungmin clasps his hand over his mouth, his eyes lighting up in mild horror. “Sorry.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin rolls his eyes, but chuckles slightly to show Seungmin he wasn’t offended. Secretly, he was happy at how Seungmin seemed to be getting more comfortable around him, enough to make small jokes — even if they were at the expense of his height. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grabbing the headphones, he places them over Seungmin’s ears. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m going to go play the song now, so you can hear it through the headset. This mixing board here? You can use it to adjust the volume, or turn the guide voice or track up or down yourself. If you don’t understand how to though, just let me know, I have the same controls outside. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin gives him a thumbs up in understanding, so Changbin heads out of the booth and to the control room, pulling </span>
  <em>
    <span>Piece </span>
  </em>
  <span>up again. He watches as Seungmin listens to it through the headset, biting his lip as he plays around with the controls. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin sends another okay sign once the track goes through. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I think I got the hang of it now, </span>
  </em>
  <span>pops up onto his message board, leading Changbin to break out into a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He presses the red record button, gesturing for Seungmin to look up. “When the light goes on, it means I’m starting to record.” He presses it off. “When you’re in there, just give me a thumbs up whenever you’re ready to start.” He motions for Seungmin to join him outside, handing him a usb drive. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I put the song with the track in there, so you can go over the music on your own, mouth along with it as practice and stuff. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Taking a glance over at Seungmin’s wrist — </span>
  <em>
    <span>136</span>
  </em>
  <span> — Changbin figures that would be enough for that day. It wasn’t as if Seungmin didn’t have any words left to sing, but he figures that after all that he threw at the other in the span of an hour and a half, it would be best to give him time away from Changbin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So I guess you can explore a bit more around the studio if you want, or you can just go for today and we can start tomorrow–</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait.” Seungmin’s hand stops on Changbin’s wrist. “Can we…” Seungmin pauses. “...start today?” Seeing the look of surprise on Changbin’s face, he quickly adds, “If you have time of course–”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No yeah, I do!” Changbin blurts out quickly. “Just… you don’t… need to save words…?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin shakes his head, a small faint smile appearing, grabbing the notepad he writes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m a little excited, so I’d like to start now, if you don’t mind. Just practicing though!!! </span>
  </em>
  <span>He was quick to add, underlining the last part. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin hums his understanding. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It would be good to get some practice in, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thinks to himself. He had no idea how well he could work with Seungmin, though from their whole interaction that day, he was sure they would get along even in the studio. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes darted over to Seungmin’s counter again, this time drawing the attention of Seungmin as well. “How... many words can you spare?” Changbin asks, mentally calculating in his mind which verse they could work on first. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>All of them. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin blinks in shock as the words appear on his notepad. He whips his head up to face Seungmin. “You sure?” Seungmin’s smile had gotten wider now, a certain determination dancing in his eyes as he nodded vigorously in agreement. Changbin felt his heart flip at the sight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, if you’re sure… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Seungmin nods again, already making his way to the vocal booth. Changbin watches as he darts around in the studio, before picking up the headset and bringing the mic closer in. There’s a certain clumsiness to the way Seungmin looks inside the booth, but all Changbin could pay attention to is the resolution in Seungmin’s face, as if exhilarated yet desperate to sing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a feeling Changbin felt often, whenever he stepped into the booth to record another rap or sing a verse. He’d seen it similarly in Jisung and Chan as well, each time they worked on their music together, silence amongst them besides the words they used to bring their lyrics to life. To the three of them, it was just their daily lives, living for music and saving words to sing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And yet, watching Seungmin — who dove into the recording with as much vigour as Changbin had in his earlier days, it sparks something in Changbin. Maybe </span>
  <em>
    <span>Piece</span>
  </em>
  <span> had started merely as a side project of his, something to work on during his free days, but now Changbin was sure he would be spending much more time in the studio on the song than he originally anticipated. But that didn’t trouble him as much as he thought it would, as he watches Seungmin nod along to the beat and listens to his beautiful voice follow along the guide vocals. Because even if he was just looking for a vocalist for his project, just the short time he spent with Seungmin promised him so much more. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <b>To: Chan</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Fuck im in love</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>From: Chan</b>
</p><p>
  <span>what</span>
</p><p>
  <span>who</span>
</p><p>
  <span>oh</span>
</p><p>
  <span>today was the first day with seungmin, huh</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <b>From: Seungmin</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Thanks for today! It was a lot of fun actually</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hopefully it was useful to you as much as it was to me &gt;&lt; </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To: Seungmin</b>
</p><p>
  <span>No for sure it was!!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s our first time working together so we gotta get use to each others styles you know</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Haha</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>From: Seungmin</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah, definitely </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When will our next session be</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To: Seungmin</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Umm</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whenever you’re free and have time you know?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I’m pretty flexible but since you’re the one singing</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Its whenever you… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Can spare some words </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>From: Seungmin</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Would tomorrow be fine?</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <b>To:Chan</b>
</p><p>
  <span>I’m really in love damn</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>[77]</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you seen Jisung?” Changbin blinks in surprise at Chan’s question, but shakes his head no. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Didn’t he say he couldn’t make it today?</span>
  </em>
  <span> He grabs his phone and texts his answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chan shrugs but nods yes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, but he practically lives here, where else would he be?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin snorts at Chan’s response, just as a knock comes from outside. “He’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>reclusive, he has a life outside this place unlike you,” he says out loud, opening the door and waving hello to Seungmin, who waves back to both Changbin and Chan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey Seungmin!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Chan scribbles brightly down. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Glad to see Changbin didn’t scare you away yesterday.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seungmin merely smiles awkwardly as Changbin fake kicks in Chan’s direction, before swiping the notepad from him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Take as much time as you need to get settled in, we can get started whenever you’re ready. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Seungmin nods. Changbin notices the way his eyes light up at that, and finds the corner of his own lips rising higher. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both him and Chan watch as Seungmin walks into the recording booth, already looking more confident as he sets up the equipment to his liking. “Look,” Chan nudges him, pointing to Seungmin’s arm. Changbin sees a bright </span>
  <em>
    <span>167</span>
  </em>
  <span> on it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ooh… he saved all his words for this, huh?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Changbin ignores Chan’s wiggling eyebrows, but blushes still at the thought, secretly ecstatic. Realistically, it was still early in the day and Seungmin probably had other uses for his words, but the slight possibility that Seungmin did mean to save it all for Changbin’s recording made his heart flip. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m good to go,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seungmin’s message on the screen jolts Changbin out of his thoughts, and he scrambles to give a thumbs up in acknowledgement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Let’s start with the second verse then</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he highlights the mentioned lyrics on his screen, and Seungmin peers down on his own to look at them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>There’s this short part here that comes in between my rap, so I think that’s a good place to start with.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seungmin nods his answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin hits play, watching as Seungmin listens to his rap, head bobbing as he follows the beat. As soon as Changbin’s part comes to a close, both him and Chan lean forward with anticipation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Seungmin really has a nice voice, </span>
  </em>
  <span>was Changbin’s first thought, watching as Seungmin sang the lyrics, mouthing alongside him. He didn’t know how much experience Seungmin had in singing, but yesterday Seungmin had alluded to his level being practically nonexistent, which made his technique and power only that much more impressive. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>~Embrace it, embrace it, endure with hope~</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seungmin finishes, letting his voice trail off on the last syllable. Changbin waits a few moments into his next rap part, before shutting the track off, rewinding to the start and playing it again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When it was just the three of 3racha working on music together, they never held back on critiques or points to work on, since they knew how dedicated they each were to their music and to delivering the best vocally. However, as Changbin glanced up to an expectant Seungmin, he wasn’t sure how to deliver the same ideas to the singer. Seungmin may have been enthusiastic enough to participate in Changbin’s project, but Changbin doubts he knew exactly how much recording Changbin, Jisung and Chan often did, taking up days just to record one verse to perfection. And the last thing Changbin wanted to do now was scare Seungmin away with this fact, especially now, after Changbin realized just how much he loves Seungmin’s voice and wanted- no, </span>
  <em>
    <span>needed </span>
  </em>
  <span>it for his project. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, swallowing back his critiques, he smiles brightly back at Seungmin. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It sounds great!</span>
  </em>
  <span> He types in. Next to him Chan gives him a puzzled look, obviously picking up on the hesitance in Changbin’s response.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So, we can move on to the next part if you have the time too-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Stop feeding me bullshit to make me feel good. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both Changbin and Chan freeze, mouths dropping at the words that appear on their screen. Changbin’s eyes dart up to look at Seungmin, who held his gaze before continuing on: </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can see it in your face, you didn’t like that last recording. So tell me what you want me to change. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Next to him, Chan whistles approvingly, slowly nodding in recognition of Seungmin’s resolve. Changbin sat there, still frozen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Changbin,” Seungmin’s voice breaks him out of his reverie, he looks up to see Seungmin typing more into the message board. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t care if we use all my words on just these two lines. I want this to come out as good as it can possibly be. So please, tell me the truth. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sincerity in Seungmin’s words scared Changbin, but at the same time he found a newfound respect for Seungmin growing inside of him. Sitting up with a new determination, he plays the part over, paying closer attention to his thoughts and jotting down things he wanted to express to Seungmin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was good,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seungmin glares at him, but Changbin merely smiles and continues on. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No really, I love your voice. It’s just… I think you need to put a little more emotion into it, especially towards the last part.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin nods in understanding. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What type of emotion specifically? Like even if I get hurt I’ll still be fine? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin pauses, brows furrowing at Seungmin’s example. </span>
  <em>
    <span>More like, you’re anticipating the hurt, almost in a way looking forward to it. But you’re not masochistic about it, rather, you know that you’ll get past the pain and be able to learn and grow from the experience, so you feel alright with what might come.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stops typing, looking timidly up at Seungmin, wondering if he went too deep into his explanation. Seungmin was still reading his words, his eyes blank with any emotion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I mean, your original explanation is pretty much what I mean, so don’t worry about my rambles-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin snicker stops Changbin mid-sentence. Looking at him confused, Changbin watches as Seungmin types out– </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Damn, who hurt you?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” he calls out, scoffing in disbelief at Seungmin’s retort, but both Chan and Seungmin saw a smile threatening his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin’s eyes were crinkling in delight as well, as he continues, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sorry. But your explanation makes a lot of sense, I think I can try it again. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Changbin nods, restarting the part and signalling Seungmin to start. Almost immediately, Seungmin begins singing again, his voice more confident this time around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It sounds much better now, doesn’t it,” Chan whispers into his ear, a smug tone in his voice. “Good thing Seungmin called you out on your bullshit, huh.” Changbin rolls his eyes, pushing Chan away from his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The verse finished once again. Changbin hit stop and rewinded back to the beginning, all of them sitting with furrowed eyebrows as Seungmin’s recording filled the studio. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I like the emotion in this one, definitely what I was looking for, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Changbin grins, restarting it again to listen once more. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The emotion especially in the first line, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he forwards the track, hitting play to hear Seungmin sing </span>
  <em>
    <span>~It's okay, it's okay, it's okay to hurt a little~</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>If you could keep a similar feeling for the rest of the song, that would be great.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seungmin nods, and Changbin smiles brightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay, so we could move to the third verse-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Can we- </span>
  </em>
  <span>Changbin jolts as Seungmin’s words pop up on the screen. He looks up to see Seungmin biting his lip, as if unsure to continue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Can we actually do it again?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Changbin squints in confusion. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The second line… I felt that my voice in the second line still sounded a bit weird. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blinking, Changbin restarts the track, fast forwarding to the part in motion and listening to it through. Besides him, Chan also was still with his ear towards the speakers, before clicking his tongue in realization, leaning over to scribble on their workspace notepad. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s kind of subtle, but his pitch does feel a bit off here. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Changbin replays the part again, now hearing what they both were talking about now that it was mentioned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Super subtle, I wouldn’t have picked up on it if I wasn’t looking for it. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin clears his throat, bringing both of their attention back to the monitor. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If it’s not that big, or you don’t hear it, we can move on-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No!” Changbin cuts in, standing up abruptly. Everyone freezes, including Changbin, at his sudden outburst. Coughing in slight embarrassment, he says, “Let’s… do it over.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin didn’t respond, but the small smile on his face was enough resolve for Changbin to confidently continue on the message board. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If you don’t like how something turned out, let me know as well. This is our project together, so we both should be happy with how it sounds.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He bolds the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>together</span>
  </em>
  <span> after typing, making sure to emphasise on it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin nods again, the grin growing wider on his face. Changbin feels his heart skip a beat, as he presses play again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that moment, something changed in the room between the two, as Seungmin seemingly took Changbin’s words to heart, starting to chime in more, and responding enthusiastically to the growing suggestions that Changbin had.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Let’s try that last part again, but sing it a bit softer, letting your voice falter off at the end. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay, I think that would be a good idea. Can I also try doing a background harmonization to your rap line, the one that starts with ~So that it doesn't become nothing~, just as a way to lead into the next part? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, that sounds great actually, let’s try it! Why don’t you try harmonizing from ~As I repeat to freeze~, until your own lines? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>(Chan stayed silently on the couch behind him, letting the two continue their back and forth, but Changbin could see out of the corner of his eye a growing smile every time they re-recorded a new line.) </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two keep on going with the same verse over and over, until Changbin sees at least a dozen copies of the same verse saved to his workspace. By the twelfth try however, Seungmin had finally gotten the hang of it, so that as soon as the verse came to a close and Changbin hit the stop button, neither of them had anything more to add, satisfaction clear on their faces. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Nice! Okay, we can move onto the next verse now-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Changbin, hold up.” Chan’s hand rests on his shoulder, stopping him from finishing his sentence. Changbin sees Chan motioning to Seungmin in the booth. “Look at his wrist.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin looks up, his heart skipping in horror at the blinking </span>
  <em>
    <span>28</span>
  </em>
  <span> on it. “Oh shit, wait, Seungmin, that’ll be all for today.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin’s face twists into confusion, before he takes a peek down, mouthing “oh” in realization. He takes his headphone off and powers down the machine, before stepping out and stretching his limbs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“S-sorry I didn’t realize we used so many words-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” Seungmin smiles. He picks up the pen and writes,</span>
  <em>
    <span> I don't have anything else I need words for today.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chan’s words earlier about Seungmin saving his words for this recording came to mind, and Changbin finds his heartbeat skipping again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all stand around awkwardly, as if unsure what to do. At that moment, the 12PM school bell chimes from outside and Chan’s stomach subsequently growls. This seems to break the tension, as Changbin laughs at Chan’s bottomless stomach and Seungmin giggles along. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Want to…” Seungmin turns back towards Changbin quizzically.  “Join us for lunch?” Seungmin blinks in shock, pointing at himself in disbelief. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin snorts in response. “See anyone else here I could be asking?” Seungmin rolls his eyes, elbowing Changbin, but the brightness in his eyes and growing smile told Changbin that Seungmin meant otherwise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And maybe it was more than just their work relationship that changed that afternoon. As the three of them left the studio, Seungmin and Changbin walking side by side while exchanging texts about their song with Chan smiling warmly from behind, Changbin realized that whatever transpired between the two of them that day had gone beyond just working on the song together, a thought that sent butterflies racing through his heart.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <b>From: Seungmin</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Will you be free tomorrow? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To: Seungmin</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, yeah</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I’m at the studio almost everyday</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But like, you don’t need to come every day though! Only when you’re free </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>From: Seungmin</b>
</p><p>
  <span>I want to though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Will that be fine?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin stares at the text message. The same butterflies from before were fluttering around in his stomach again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>To: Seungmin</b>
</p><p>
  <span>See you tomorrow </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>[114]</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, obviously I’m not trying to force him to come, but he promised to help me with something and I can’t complete it if he’s not here–” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin hums distractedly, idly looking over at Chan’s word counter, watching as it drops down to </span>
  <em>
    <span>76, </span>
  </em>
  <span>a stark difference from his own </span>
  <em>
    <span>123.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Of the three, Chan was the best at shortening his sentences and only using words when he needed to, so it was slightly amusing to see Chan taking his frustration out on Jisung not showing up again on his word counter like this. He did find it strange, considering the fact that since Changbin had met Jisung, this was the first time he had gone a week without seeing the other, but then again, Jisung was one of the most unpredictable souls Changbin’s ever had the pleasure of meeting, so he didn’t dwell long on that thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chan huffs as he realizes Changbin is not paying attention, slumping down at his seat and glaring at his phone, which — as Changbin knew from how much Chan had complained so far that day — was completely void of any word from Jisung. “Seungmin coming again today?” he asks instead, glancing up at the clock. Changbin hums yes, scribbling down a </span>
  <em>
    <span>5:30 </span>
  </em>
  <span>on their notepad before focusing back on his computer screen, where </span>
  <em>
    <span>Piece </span>
  </em>
  <span>was currently open. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chan leans over, hitting play. They both listen as Seungmin comes on, and Chan snickers as Changbin struggles to keep his lips from turning upward at the singer’s voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s good,” Chan says, before switching over to the notepad. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Better than you are in recording.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Changbin elbows him, rolling his eyes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No, seriously, he works so hard in recording — especially considering he’s not really getting any compensation for all the time he spends here — which at this point, is more than I’ve seen Jisung here in a long while. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin shrugs, but internally, he felt his mind clamoring over what Chan was saying. He was and would be eternally grateful for how much effort Seungmin put into his track, but despite their growing comfort with each other, sometimes Changbin wonders if he was pushing too hard at times, asking too much from Seungmin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chan, noticing the change in Changbin’s demeanor, quickly adds, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I mean, Seungmin definitely seems to enjoy it a lot. Sometimes I feel like he’s more enthusiastic about this project than you are. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was something Changbin had noticed as well, remembering back to their session just yesterday, where Seungmin had run his word count dry repeating over a singular line until he got it right — even after Changbin kept reassuring him that it sounded completely fine. They’d spent the rest of the time afterwards motioning over what to do the next day, before stopping for fried chicken on the way out, Seungmin’s silent laughter mixed with Changbin’s lame jokes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin smiles softly as the memory comes rushing back, feeling his worries fading away. It was nice, finding someone else besides Chan and Jisung who could not only put up with Changbin’s spontaneity in the studio, but enthusiastically participate as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door to their studio opens, and both Chan and Changbin look up to see Seungmin walk in (two days ago, Chan had given Seungmin a key to the place after finding him awkwardly waiting outside for Changbin). They both lazily wave their hands in greeting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin returns it distractedly, his eyes zeroing in on Changbin's computer screen. He points to it, and then to himself. Changbin stares back, confused, until realization hits for what Seungmin was referring to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Yeah, this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>Piece.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He rolls his cursor over the computer screen, where the audio mixer was. “Wanna listen to what we have so far?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Seungmin clasps his hands over his mouth in shock at his outburst, his </span>
  <em>
    <span>116 </span>
  </em>
  <span>dropping. He still nods enthusiastically however, and both Chan and Changbin break out into wide grins at his zeal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin swivels around to his computer, clacking a bit before finally hitting play. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t let it fall apart~ </span>
  </em>
  <span>starts almost immediately, as both his and Seungmin’s voice fill the studio. But rather than watching the computer screen, Changbin peeks over at Seungmin instead, nervously anticipating his reaction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He has a mole</span>
  </em>
  <span>, was his first thought, never having seen it before. Seungmin had tried his best to cover the mark with makeup, but the concealer was wearing off, the faint black mark showing through. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It’s cute. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He tilts his head, his eyes unconsciously tracing the outline of Seungmin’s profile. There was a softness in Seungmin’s face that Changbin had never noticed before, since their interactions usually occurred on opposite sides of studio glass. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The song came to a close, and Seungmin sat back in his seat, giving Changbin a clear view of the dazed look on his face. His mouth was slack, eyes glazed over with awe as he stared at the computer screen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When…” It was as if Seungmin had forgotten about his word count, as he slowly turned toward Changbin. The look on his face had shifted to a flurry of emotions, a mixture of wonder, nervousness and anticipation. Changbin finds himself mesmerized, almost missing the rest of Seungmin’s question. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...will the song be done?” Changbin blinks out as Chan nudges him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Answer him,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he mouths, his eyes darting in Seungmin’s direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“O-oh! Um– well–” Each stutter takes another word off his counter, but Changbin didn’t even notice, fumbling with his computer as a red blush grows on his face from being caught staring at Seungmin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>(Next to him, he sees Seungmin biting his lip shyly, and wills away the small blossom of hope rising inside of him.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I already mixed all my rap parts in,” he highlights the clips instead, feeling himself tense up as Seungmin moves in closer to look, his arm brushing up against Changbin’s. Quickly, he grabs the notepad, and writes the rest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I’ve started working on your vocal parts, so as soon as you finish recording them all, it’ll be pretty much done.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seungmin nods, the smile on his face growing wider and wider. He reaches over and grabs the pen from Changbin. Changbin tries not to think about the warmth of Seungmin’s hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Guess we should get to work then.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seungmin breaks into a wide grin, his teeth flashing in happiness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin feels his heart beat. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>[98]</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The sun was beginning to set as Changbin exited his last class, stretching his limbs out after an hour and a half of cramping in his tiny seat. Sometimes he wonders what the purpose of classes were, when it was just an hour and half of reading words off powerpoint, listening to the robotic translators his professor used, and sending any questions via messenger, something that Changbin would much rather do from the comfort of his bed — which coincidentally, was where he was headed right now. Seungmin had a club meeting that day, so they decided to take a day break before diving right into the last verse. Secretly, Changbin wanted to prolong the recordings as much as he could, so he could enjoy Seungmin’s company for just a little longer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Humming the tune of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Piece </span>
  </em>
  <span>to himself, Changbin idly swung his keychain around his finger, eyes lazily looking around at the dwindling number of students, most on their way home or to the dorms. Out of the corner of his eyes, a flash of blonde hair and familiar red headphones catches his eyes, and he spins around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jisung!” Bounding over, Changbin drapes his arms over Jisung’s shoulder, almost sending the other into shock at his sudden greeting. “It’s been so long, I almost forgot what you look like!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jisung weakly smiles back, trying to push Changbin’s arm off, which only led Changbin to hold on tighter, pulling Jisung into a tight squeeze as he chatters on, his word count dipping dangerously close to single digits, the excitement of finally catching Jisung taking over instead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where’ve you been? Chan was joking that we should kick you from 3racha and ask Seungmin to join– oh! You should hear Seungmin, he’s literally the voice I’ve been looking for, I can’t wait for you to hear the finished song–”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He falters off, suddenly realizing that while Jisung was just nodding along and listening, he still didn’t respond, but remained silent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before meeting Jisung, Changbin had only known of one person who treated their word count like nothing, always sprouting off everything off her mind as if there wasn’t a limit to how much she could say. Dinner time was always fun at their house, with the rest of their family always watching to see if Changbin’s sister could finish her ramble of the day without running out of words. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then one night, she had come home and not said a word, eating dinner silently and rushing to her room straight after. No one else had seemed to notice her sudden silence, except Changbin. That night, he had timidly knocked on her door, sat down next to her, and asked what was wrong. That night, as he watched his sister huddled in her bed, phone in her hand with a blush on her face as she whispered to Changbin, he learned her reason.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Realization hits him, and he slowly moves his hand off Jisung’s back, his excited grin morphing into a more soft smile. “So…” he starts, slowing his pace. Jisung looks back, confused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who's the lucky person?” Jisung chokes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“W-what-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The one you’re saving words for.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jisung doesn’t answer, but the blush on his face was enough confirmation for Changbin. He looks down at Jisung’s counter. It was the first time he’s ever seen it in 3 digits. Pulling his phone out, he texts Jisung. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tell me about them.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jisung kept silent, but Changbin could see a flash of happiness in his eyes, as if this was exactly what Jisung had been waiting to be asked, waiting for the moment where he could share everything that this mysterious person meant to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally, he gives in. “He’s a dance major.” It’s as if just those four words opens up the box that Jisung was keeping his voice in, because suddenly his words are tumbling out at lightning speed, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>132</span>
  </em>
  <span> rapidly decreasing on his wrist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I met him at this hip hop club. He was looking for someone to produce music for his dance crew. I was intimidated at first because he’s so handsome, but after getting to know him, we started to get along so well–” Changbin watches as Jisung’s face begins to light up, brimming with elation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It unnerved him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t like falling in love was prohibited the same way as speaking was. However, the start of the word counting system was also the decline of the romance industry, with people finding it harder to cultivate lifelong romantic feelings with others. As time went by, everyone became more accustomed to counting words, saving them only for the most important of reasons, using body language and writing in everyday exchanges instead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To some, there was a certain romance behind this, the idea of only saving your words for those you truly cared about. To most however, it was the opposite. With a limited amount of words daily, it was only natural to be afraid of relationships, the idea of possibly wasting your character limit on someone who didn’t deserve them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite the many romantic songs Changbin produced, Changbin was firmly in the latter. He had his fair share of romances that went nowhere, both of them often never using their words unless needed, the uncomfortable silence between him and his partner continuing until it became obvious it wasn’t working between the two. If it was because of lack of chemistry or lack of communication that was the problem, Changbin never knew, nor did he ever try and figure it out. To him, music was his life, the only reason he would ever need to carefully allot his word count for. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Changbin had met Chan and Jisung, he thought he found two others who thought the same. While Chan was a bit more of a romantic than Changbin was, in a long term relationship with a pretty girl who had an even prettier voice, Changbin had always thought Jisung never would find love in his lifetime, with how much the younger devoted his time to his music and hardly looked at anything else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But looking at the Jisung now, the one who was all smiles and starry eyes, head over heels for some mysterious dancer that had him both saving his words and sprouting them off at an alarming speed, Changbin was hit with the sudden realization that perhaps love wasn’t something a person had to find or could control, but instead snuck up to you and permeated itself into your life. That before you knew it, you were in love without ever realizing it happened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... and he really likes our music too, which makes me so excited to see him dance to something I made...” Changbin could hear Jisung’s voice falter off, the fondness in his smile as if Jisung was imagining the sight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>(A flash of Seungmin singing came to mind.) </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Quickly, he taps on Jisung’s hand that was holding his phone, before taking his own phone out and typing in his response. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Did you… did you need to save words for him?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jisung’s smile turns slightly bittersweet. </span>
  <em>
    <span>No, we weren’t able to meet up today. I was hoping I could call later on, but I just saw him at the studio just now, and he looks like he’ll be busy tonight, so probably not. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He pauses both in typing and in his step. Changbin slows down as well, turning back to see as Jisung grew more contemplative. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you…” he starts again, looking up at Changbin with the most serious look Changbin had ever seen cross Jisung’s face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you… ever felt like you needed to save words for someone?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin had never given it a thought before. Sure, the concept was romantic in itself, and he had toyed with using the subject in his lyrics, but the application to his own relationships had always been something completely out of his reach, an afterthought in his already stressful life. And well, maybe that was the problem with all his previous relationships — that he never felt this need to save words specifically for them, with too many other important reasons for his limited words coming to mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Except in that moment, Changbin’s first thought wasn’t to answer no. It wasn’t to tell Jisung that he couldn’t relate, or that he didn’t understand Jisung’s feelings. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At that very moment, the first thing that came to his mind instead was… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jisung smiles softly. “You were thinking of Seungmin, weren’t you?”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>[12]</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>~I'll come find you even during dark nights, because you might be hiding somewhere in my dreams~</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin could feel his lips curling up into a smile as he played </span>
  <em>
    <span>Piece</span>
  </em>
  <span> again, relishing in how perfect Seungmin sounds throughout the song. It had been a good two weeks since they had first met, but almost everyday Seungmin had been in the studio, recording his parts over and over as Changbin mixes it together. Changbin had to buy a whole new harddrive to store the audio files from their sessions (though reality was, he couldn’t bear to trash any of Seungmin’s attempts at singing, even if Seungmin himself blushed seeing Changbin keep them all). </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the same time, it was bittersweet, as Changbin sees the final empty spots on his vocal track. Only one more stanza before they would finish with the song. Afterwards, it would only be the final touch ups, and then </span>
  <em>
    <span>Piece</span>
  </em>
  <span> would be done, from merely a beat born from late night sessions, lyrics scribbled on a page, and the arduous find for a vocalist, to this beautiful collaboration between Changbin and Seungmin. But as good as it would feel to finally have something to show for all the time they worked on it and words they used, there was still a small part of him that wished he made the song  longer, just so he could spend more time with Seungmin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Because the end of this passion project of theirs meant the uncertainty of what the future between him and Seungmin would become. Changbin would like to think they were friends, and would still keep in contact even after, but it wouldn't be the same as the almost daily studio recordings these past weeks that Changbin had come to really enjoy. As much as Changbin would love to have Seungmin sing on all his songs from this moment on, he still wasn't sure how Seungmin felt, if he just wanted a one time experience in singing only. Seungmin was a photography major and admitted to never having an interest in professional recording before, so there was no telling if his feelings had since changed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh well</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Changbin thinks, shrugging the thoughts away. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It was a good experience regardless.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Changbin wouldn't regret it, whatever the outcome was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stretches out as the closing riffs soften, ending his fifth listen of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Piece</span>
  </em>
  <span> again. He glances at the studio clock, noting it was already almost 9:30. Changbin originally was here to work on some school pieces, but having distracted himself for a bit with </span>
  <em>
    <span>Piece</span>
  </em>
  <span> (and Seungmin's voice), he figures that night was a lost cause for any actual work. He tosses his notebook into his bag and stands up, making to power the computer off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe I should hit up Seungmin and see if he wants to get food</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thinks, pulling out his phone. Today was a rare day where Seungmin couldn't do a recording session, so Changbin hadn't actually seen the other all day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>(And well, thankfully Jisung was busy with that dance major "friend" of his, and Chan on a well deserved date with his girlfriend, or else the growing smile as he types a text to Seungmin would have been teasing fodder for weeks to come.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A loud bang disrupts him from finishing his text, and he jolts up to see Seungmin burst in. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wow did you read my mind or–"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A paper thrusted into his face cuts his words off. Squinting, he reads it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Can we record the rest of the song today.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin chokes. "What?" He looks down at the lyrics sheet, still on the table. There wasn't much left, but with the perfection levels both he and Seungmin had, it would be at least 3 days, given a high enough word count and enough time. Something that, as Changbin glanced at the </span>
  <em>
    <span>65</span>
  </em>
  <span> on Seungmin's wrist and the 9:40 on the clock behind them, they had neither of. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin insistently shook the paper again. Changbin freezes, unsure how to proceed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Seungmin, we need at least two days, not just one night–"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin scribbles something else down. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I'll finish it tonight.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Changbin sighs.</span>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It's a little hard for someone who's just starting recording to do it in one shot–“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin underlines </span>
  <em>
    <span>tonight</span>
  </em>
  <span> multiple times, before adding on, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Let me do it.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was unlike any behavior Changbin had seen Seungmin display before. In the time he's known Seungmin, it wasn't hard to miss his stubborn and headstrong personality, but today, the look in his eyes was borderline desperate instead, a swirl of torment and fear in them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin bit his lip, unsure. On one hand, he wasn't sure if Seungmin could pull off completion in the emotional state he appeared to be in, but the</span>
  <span> desperation</span>
  <span> in his eyes was enough to make Changbin want to give it a try. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He waves Seungmin into the booth, not missing how robotically the other seemed to be going through the motions of setting up. Regardless, he puts up what he hopes is a comforting smile as he pulls up the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Piece  </span>
  </em>
  <span>lyrics, highlighting the stanza that they would start with. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're only going to have one try," he says, watching as Seungmin nods, resolutely. "Let me know when to start." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin nods again, before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. When he opens them, Changbin sees a flash of wetness in them, before it's gone and Seungmin is sending him a thumbs up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The verse is following one of Changbin's rap, so they listen to the tail end of it before going into the actual part. Seungmin breathes in again, and opens his mouth to sing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Almost immediately, Changbin knows it's off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He keeps his face motionless, not to throw Seungmin off, but it wouldn't matter anyway, as Seungmin keeps his eyes trained solely on the lyrics as he shakely goes through the verse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To Changbin, it was always so ironic how fast a verse can go, especially considering how long it could sometimes take to finish recording just one line. This moment is no different, with Seungmin's attempt ending almost as quickly as he started. Changbin — who didn't even notice he was holding his breath — exhales as he timidly returns back to the beginning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After their first meeting, Changbin never held back on his criticisms about certain parts he didn't like, but today didn't seem like a day for that, with Seungmin's already tense state. It wasn't like it sounded completely awful considering Seungmin had grown as a recording artist since that first session, and with a little autotune, it wouldn't sound so out of place with the rest of the song. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Play it over for me, </span>
  </em>
  <span>pops up on their shared monitor. Changbin blinks, looking up to see an </span>
  <span>impassive </span>
  <span>Seungmin staring back. He rewinds and hits play.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I think it sounds good," he says, not wanting to upset Seungmin, but almost immediately as the verse starts, Seungmin starts crying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Damn it!" he hears come from the booth. With that, Changbin also sees Seungmin's wrist flash a bright red 0. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Almost immediately Changbin presses pause, before hurrying into the studio himself. "What's wrong?"  he asks, crouching down to the still tearing Seungmin. "Listen, you did sound okay there, if anything, we can auto tune it a bit and then try again tomorrow if you'd like."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I need the song by tomorrow. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Seungmin's points his phone screen towards Changbin, before typing in, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I forgot that I wanted this for tomorrow. I wanted... I need to give this song to someone tomorrow, because they need to know. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin feels his heart break. There's a hidden implication in Seungmin's words, one that </span>
  <span>crushes</span>
  <span> the feelings that were slowly growing inside him, macerating his heart into a million pieces.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But right now, there was a crying Seungmin in his studio, so he swallows the sprout of bitterness, focusing on Seungmin instead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I wanted– no, needed to give it to him tomorrow, but I need it to be perfect for him. And this...</span>
  </em>
  <span> he waves at the mic and headset resting besides him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I sound so bad here it's horrible, I can't give this to him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You don't sound horrible," Changbin tries, but he could tell Seungmin was already compromised. The tears had stopped, but the pain on his face still remained, confliction over what Changbin knew is the</span>
  <span> contrasting feelings </span>
  <span>of what Seungmin wanted versus what he knew he was capable of on his own. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wiping away at his last tears, Seungmin sniffs before standing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sorry, I know you probably want to go home and need to lock up, I'll get out of your way–</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Stay with me tonight."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin pauses midword, as he turns slowly from the monitor to face Changbin. There's evident confusion in his eyes. In all honesty, Changbin felt the same at that moment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite being the poster boy of insomniac music making, Chan had insisted that their studio had a closing time of at least 10pm on school days, citing that he’d rather they all be home making bad choices then in the studio staying up late for music. Seungmin knew this, with Chan throwing them all out at 10 sharp two nights ago (but treating them to ramen right after). In the past, Changbin never broke this rule, not even for school related projects. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But perhaps inside Changbin knew </span>
  <em>
    <span>Piece</span>
  </em>
  <span> had grown from just a mere passion project of his to one of his top pieces, and that was all thanks to Seungmin. Seungmin, who came into his life one dark night, determination in his eyes. Who may have never sung into a professional mic before in his life, but took the challenge into stride, exponentially growing from the clueless state in his first meeting to the confident vocalist he had become. Who had as much passion and enthusiasm that Changbin had for this song, giving his all for the music. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Stay here with me," he says again. "Let’s wait for your word counter to reset at 12am, and try again. We’ll finish this in time."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For a split second, he sees Chan's disappointed face in his mind, but that's quickly replaced with the bright smile and shining eyes of Seungmin instead, the happiest he's ever seen. Changbin was sure Chan could let this one time slide.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They sit in the studio in silence. Seungmin is on the couch, and Changbin notices from the corner of his eyes that he's mouthing the lyrics over and over. With a grin on his face, he sections off the part of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Piece</span>
  </em>
  <span> in question, playing it over and over for Seungmin to practice. Changbin still has words left himself, so every once in a while, he chimes in with a comment or remark, hoping to defuse any leftover tension still in the air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But without a doubt his words fell on deaf ears. Seungmin’s eyes were trained solely on the lyrics, as if nothing else existed around him. Changbin knows that feeling all too well, and smiles softly to himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At 12am their counters reset. Seungmin immediately goes into the booth. He looks at Changbin. This time, there's no panic or fear, desperation or </span>
  <span>apprehension</span>
  <span>. Instead, there's only determination in his eyes as he mouths to Changbin – </span>
  <em>
    <span>Let's do this. </span>
  </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>[70]</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Changbin wakes up to see an energy bar dropping from Chan's mouth as he walks into the studio. He blinks once, then twice, completely in shock as his eyes dart between Seungmin sound asleep on the couch, and Changbin huddled over the computer work space. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How long have you guys been here?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Too long," Changbin groans, shielding his eyes as Chan draws the curtains open behind them. On the couch, he can see Seungmin stir as well, bleary eyes looking up at the sudden ray of sunlight invading their area. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chan sighs, setting his drink down on the table and grabbing his wallet from his bag. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll buy breakfast.” He turns back the way he came from and leaves before Changbin could even protest — though the appeal of a free meal was enticing enough for him not to bother.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The studio returns back to quiet, both too tired to say a word. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My cousin…” Seungmin finally breaks the silence. He pauses, before grabbing his phone and typing the rest in. A ping of Changbin’s phone signals the message.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He’s mute.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin’s eyes widened. There’s another ping as another block of text appears on his phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He was born mute, and when he turned 12, didn’t get a word counter.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time, Changbin turns to look at Seungmin on the couch. Seungmin is looking down at his phone, a faint smile on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jeongin gets lonely a lot. No one likes to talk with him, because they think it's unfair to waste words on someone who won’t respond. I hate that, because it’s not Jeongin’s fault he can’t speak. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I used to sing to him a lot when we were younger, because Jeongin always told me my voice was beautiful and he liked hearing it. But when I turned 12 and got my word counter, my parents told me to stop visiting him so often, that I should save my words for someone else. I never let that stop me — I’d always call or video chat him to talk, because I know how much Jeongin wants others to talk to him even if he can’t communicate back. But there’s only so much I can do for Jeongin. Even if I want to spend all my words for him, to talk to him when no one else would, there was no way 167 words could last me a whole day. And well… even if Jeongin doesn’t show it, I know there’s a distance between me and him now because of this.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin stills, watching as Seungmin’s smile turns bittersweet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It was a dream of mine to record a song for Jeongin, something so that he could listen to me sing once again, so he could know that even with this stupid word counter I want to talk to him, to let him hear my voice even if I can’t hear his. The thing was — even with my homemade recordings, it just didn’t feel that right to give him just that. It’s hard to finish a song anymore because I only have 167 words, and those voice classes our university offers are complete shit — didn’t teach me anything about music making. That's why when I saw your ad, I knew I needed to get on your project. I just… I want something tangible for Jeongin to have, so that if he feels lonely and wants to hear my voice, but I can’t give it to him, then at least he’ll have something he can listen to.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seungmin puts his phone down, but Changbin doubts there is anything he could add. A wave of sadness goes through him, for Jeongin —who had to suffer silently in their already quiet world, and Seungmin — who would do anything to ease Jeongin’s pain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But at the same time, there’s a hint of pride spreading through him. For every sideway glance or disparaging remark Changbin received for his unconventional belief of using real voices in music, there was a story of someone who knew the value of singing. How with real singers, emotions could be properly conveyed through music, lyrics coming alive through the intonations. Where music wasn’t just sounds put together into a melodious tune, but a way to express oneself through art. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Today…” Seungmin cuts into Changbin’s thoughts. He’s looking over to Changbin now, the faint smile wider and spreading to his eyes, making his face radiate with happiness. “Today is Jeongin’s birthday.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Changbin hums at that, realizing now what may have spurred Seungmin to be so desperate the night before. Grabbing a blank flash drive, he drags the finished audio file into the bin, ejecting it and handing it to Seungmin. Seungmin takes it, fiddling it between his fingers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you…” Changbin’s eyes dart to Seungmin. There’s a red blush lining his cheeks. “...want to meet him?”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>[165]</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>When Changbin sees Jeongin, the first thing he notices is how the other seemed to have a permanent grin on his face, smiling widely as he hugs Seungmin and is introduced to Changbin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The second thing he notices is the blank wrist Jeongin has. He’s heard of humans who couldn’t get a word counter, whose body rejected the number count and left them mute for life, but actually meeting one, seeing the nervousness as Jeongin fumbles with his hands to motion his greetings to Changbin, and wrote with shaky letters if Changbin wanted anything to drink, it hurt more than the knowledge he had. They may live in a world where words were limited, but he couldn’t imagine what Jeongin felt having none. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last thing Changbin notices —and perhaps the most important thing he sees from Jeongin that day — is the tears in Jeongin’s eyes when Seungmin gives him the audio file and plays it for him. There’s so much emotion in his face, as he hugs Seungmin again and throws his arms around Changbin as well, and the radiating happiness from Jeongin was something Changbin doubts he would ever be able to recreate in his music at all. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>[41]</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>They leave Jeongin’s place in silence — but for the first time, not because of lack of words. Changbin finds himself thinking back to the way Jeongin had looked when he heard the song, the happiness in his eyes when hearing Seungmin’s voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was hard sometimes to make music the way Changbin wanted, with how much pushback he and 3racha always received. But it was moments like these, where he could see how much different music with human singers had an impact, these were what made all his hard work worth it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If…” They’re still walking, but Seungmin’s voice draws Changbin’s attention to the other. Seungmin is looking forward, a faraway look in his eyes, and maybe somewhere inside of Changbin, he was hopeful that Seungmin felt the same. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...There are any other projects you need a singer…” There’s a beep from his wrist, and Changbin sees a bright red </span>
  <em>
    <span>0</span>
  </em>
  <span> flash. But it didn’t matter, Changbin knew what Seungmin was asking, felt his heart leap to new heights at the implication of Seungmin’s unspoken words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Definitely.” He answers. Deciding there were more words needed to be said, he adds on, “You know we’re never going to let you escape now that we’ve heard your voice.” Seungmin laughs at that, eyes crinkling in happiness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Feeling a wave of braveness, Changbin continues:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you want… I… can… also teach you how to make music as well.” Seungmin’s laughter fades, and he slows in his step, looking at Changbin with wide eyes. Changbin looks away, feeling his cheeks redden. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, so you can make… songs… for Jeongin… ” Looking down at his counter, he watches as it goes down to 0. “...and yourself.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ever since Changbin was 12 and received a word counter, he’s never run out of words this early on in the day, always so mindful of saving words for important conversations. And yet with Seungmin, they came so easily out - with every verbal conversation he had with the other equally as important as the ones that came before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He thinks back to Jisung, and how quick he was to speak all his love and admiration for his dancer friend. He thinks about his sister, who saved all her words just to whisper them to her lover over the phone at night. And now, as he looks at Seungmin — with his shining smile and hopeful eyes, Changbin now understands them both, how it was so easy to both save words and use them all for someone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They’re both out of words but their smiles say it all. And even if Seungmin can’t respond to Changbin’s unspoken invitation, his answer is clear. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>[0]</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><b>EDIT 03/27/2021:</b> This was originally posted on 10/10/2020, where we only had <a href="https://twitter.com/shmesm2/status/1206912371542786049"> this </a> short 10 second clip of <i>Piece</i>, and no promise of it's actual release date. Flash forward 6 months to March 25th, and we have been <i>blessed.</i> I had wanted to use <i>Piece</i> as the song they were working on originally, but this fic had been 99% finished in October and I didn't want to sit on it anymore. I told myself that if they ever graced us with <i>Piece</i>, I might consider revisiting this and editing it to reflect that. </p><p>Well... they did give it to us, the song is as perfect as I knew it would be, and two days later, this is the result. :) </p><p> </p><p>(Thank you <i>On Track</i> for your role in this fic originally. You will be missed.)</p><p>--</p><p>I was hesitant to tag this a dystopian, and slightly still am now, but it's an homage to how this fic originated, where it was much darker and a dystopia than it is now. It may be a "dystopian" world where the government limits your word count like this, but not all dystopias have to be sad, right? </p><p>As for who Jisung’s mysterious dancer friend is, let me know who you think it is!</p><p>twitter: 8dumplings</p></blockquote></div></div>
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